The Seibu Lions announced that they hired former Yakult Swallow Kevin Hodges (38) as a US-based scout, beginning on 1/1/2012.

Hodges spent three years with the Yakult Swallows (2001 - 2003) and one year with the Rakuten Eagles (2005).

UPDATE @ 11:00pm - A number of other personnel changes: chief of international affairs Tetsu Suzuki will become farm director (he used to handle foreign players) and chief pro scout Katsuya Soma will become farm director assistant/Ikusei; and current farm director Koji Fukushima will become an advanced scout. All changes will become effective on 1/1.